The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: Do you think authorities should crack down on people who illegally sell food on the street, or do you think they should be left alone?
Talk about it….
51 comments
1. Do they pay taxes?
2. Are they licensed?
3. Are they subject to Health Dept rules & regulations?
4. Are they connected to human trafficking?
Spot on!
So all it took to stop people complaining about California’s over-regulated food industry was to point out that some street vendors don’t pay these taxes and fees.
And now instead, people are complaining about the immigrants that run the street stands.
And then next week you’ll go back to complaining about the price of a hamburger. The problem isn’t the street vendors. It’s your predictable gullibility.
Citizens are over-regulated, while illegals are unregulated. How about having reasonable regulations and enforce them equally for everyone?
Authorities should crack down. Though the food smells good, those vendors aren’t licensed and don’t have Health Department certifications. While exiting a Cal football game a couple of years ago, I saw one of these vendors drop a sausage on the ground, then pick it up and put it on the grill. No thank you.
No problem, cooking it will kill the germs. Just dust it off and enjoy!
Ha ha. And the asphalt pebbles will melt?
It’s not fair for those vendors that obtain the proper permits and pay taxes. I often hear people say things like: ” Well they aren’t bothering anyone. Leave them alone. Don’t pick on those poor migrants. They are just trying to feed their families.” A lot of their pay leaves the state south of the border. $53 billion in debt.
How many temporary closures of restaurants have we seen published here on Claycord that were fully licensed? A license to sell food does not necessarily guarantee quality.
And how many unlicensed vendors have been shut down for the same practices that would cause a licensed vendor to be shut down?
“…drop a sausage on the ground, then pick it up and put it on the grill. ”
Isn’t that pretty much a typical evening at a majority of restaurants? Talk to someone that has worked in a kitchen. Or better yet, don’t. Out of sight, out of mind.
5 second rule
I worked at “Famous Recipe Fried Chicken” on Clayton Road in the early 80’s. When I was dumping the chicken from the fryer to the tray, one of the pieces of chicken fell and hit the floor. The owner, Jan, asked if a customer saw that. I said no. She said to put it back on the tray.
When I was a teenager I was a line cook and a couple of us saw the boss drop a hamburger patty on the floor & pick it up. Our lead cook said “You gotta throw it out” while the boss was cleaning it off…. then the cook said “I swear to God, if you put that on the bun I’m going to quit right now!” So the boss tossed it out…. we were too busy to lose a guy!
#1 ~ to make sure they are preparing food in a food safe permitted environment.
#2 ~ permit to sell food that is chilled or heated to food safety codes as a vendor.
Safety & Heatlh first, … otherwise they shouldn’t be selling food.
where is the permit dept when you need them? They are certainly there anytime a bunch of kids open up a lemonade stand.
Leave them alone. I support them every Sunday when I go to the concord flea market. They have delicious tacos and other Mexican foods. There is even a dude selling michelada. So what they don’t have health permit, overhead cost, not paying taxes?
It must be quite satisfying to not know what’s in the food you eat, and to have no idea where it came from.
Unless you buy and prepare your food, You never know where your food comes from and how it is prepared. I have eaten foods from street vendors whenever I travel abroad and haven’t gotten sick. I guess American have weak immune system.
Paul
It is not a matter of buying/preparing food for me … it is the flagrant disregard for any laws in this city, county or state. The authorities will shut down a restaurant for a health violation, but those same rules do not apply to the food vendors. Why not? Is it because they are illegal aliens, they are a specific race, or something else and people like you think it would be discriminatory?
Why do we have laws if we are not required to follow them? Or are laws only applicable to straight white males and tax payers?
If they had a vendor sticker saying that they were approved, I would be all for supporting them, but till they do – KICK THE OUT!
It must be nice living in a dream world, Paul.
The health dept, and/or the police should investigate them to determine if they are properly licensed, and in the country legally. If it turns out they are not licensed to sell food on the street, they should be shut down. If they are in the country illegally, forget the sanctuary status and report them to ICE.
Anybody that does business with them is an accomplice to the illegal activities, and the illegal invasion we are experiencing in our country.
They walk around tooting their little horn at all hours.
This isn’t Tijuana but it’s getting close.
I guess I will be called RACIST but I don’t care.
Just a few years ago the Mayor’s campaign slogan was “Make Tijuana Great Again.
Here ya go Otis!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtF5GjVeaY
Whenever taxes and regulations become excessive, black markets will flourish
I’d like to see some non-Latinos try selling food on the street, and watch how fast they’re shut down.
I agree they should be left alone. These “illegal” food vendors should re-theme their food from their commanderred discriminatory American names to more acceptable ethnic counterparts to promote cultural awareness. For example, the “white” bread ham sandwich with American cheese with its obvious visual representation of white supremacy should be renamed the mexican torta with carnitas and queso fresco. An appropriate way to celebrate the hispanic culture.
More unintended? consequences from minimum wage mandates on fast food restaurants.
If you let them operate, why should any restaurant be legal then? What’s next illegal street vendor, box vans driving around selling pharmacy products?.
I needed a permit to live in an RV on my OWN property. And yet they can sell food that people consume that came from who knows where without a permit? Do they pay city taxes? I highly doubt it. Crack down on them!!! It’s ILLEGAL!!!!
So you don’t mind excess taxes as long as others have to pay too? Misery loves company.
Let them be. I live in a high density Hispanic neighborhood. We have a guy who drives around with a bicycle cart and an umbrella honking a horn and making kids happy where I live. Nothing wrong with that. It’s a cultural thing. There is also an ice cream truck driven by an old, white bearded man wearing a turban who’s truck plays, “Yankee Doodle.” We are the world…lol.
There are plenty of them up and down on Monument Blvd.
They were out of control
@ the Pavilion last week- police didn’t do anything till asked to
Yes, the food smells so good, and the vendors are usually delightful. But something tells me that if they were to crack down it would suddenly become a racist thing. I do worry about how many of them have been forced into labor by human traffickers.
The fruit vendors on many corners in PH and Mtz often have a small child in a car seat or stroller. And ….. the strawberries etc are often much less appealing under the top layer that you see from your car. No Thanks.
I find it discouraging for a few reasons. First, knowing the level of regulation in this state (all for the name of “safety”) puts so many restrictions on “free commerce.” Second, knowing (well, feeling) that these groups are able to do this (as they are out every week), whereas if other groups tried this, they would be stopped post-haste. Finally, to know that the smell of grilled chicken has such an effect on me when I do smell it, should that pique my interest that much?
What concerns me is that a lot of them are using a propane gas tank out in the open with no permit to operate. That itself is hazardous.
Why not start up a sidewalk auto repair business? or a corner street side clothing store? or a driveway bicycle sales site?
If the city government allows for some, they should allow it for all.
Now they are driving golf carts on the street how is that legal for them when the carts are not street legal. These vendors are out of control.
The Dems are always saying, “no one’s above the law.” Yet they coddle the illegal invaders…..hypocrites!
Do any of you ask to see their permit? And what are you going to do with they pull one out to show? And isn’t this a repeat question from a few weeks ago? 😄
No this is not a repeat question from a few weeks ago.
I have been watching the show “Contraband, seized at the border” and now every time I see a illegal food vendor all I can see in my head are the cars that are stopped with literally hundreds of pounds of room temperature meat hidden under clothes and other crap to sell here. This is why we have a health dept and a permit dept among other things that we all have to abide by. also the meat sized is incinerated due to potential animal borne diseases “things to think about”
said it before and dont mind reiterating it again I may be alone on this and that is fine. I think it’s so illegal and so unfair. No offense to anyone but it’s always illegals trying to make an illegal buck. It’s very unfortunate to actual small business owners who have to go through the DUE process to be legal and legally solicit their business. All the time effort and money that goes into that. Then you have the Hispanics (more than likely here illegally) selling flowers, fruits, setting up grills and BBQ’n all over the place selling food illegally. With no repercussions for breaking the LAW. Its pathetic and sick.
100% on target Jim
My honest opinion and just that an opinion. I think it’s so illegal and so unfair. No offense to anyone but it’s always illegals trying to make an illegal buck. It’s very unfortunate to actual small business owners who have to go through the DUE process to be legal and legally solicit their business. All the time effort and money that goes into that. Then you have the Hispanics (more than likely here illegally) selling flowers, fruits, setting up grills and BBQ’n all over the place selling food illegally. With no repercussions for breaking the LAW. Its pathetic and sick.
TRAFFIC HAZARDS
What to do if you buy from a street vendor and the lettuce is dirty:
Remind yourself, it’s not dirt, it’s earth.
No thanks.
There is some really delicious smelling food out there, always tempted to buy, but…… I cannot support this illegal action; I understand they are trying to make a living, BUT you know what, so is every other ‘legal” business in town. To run a ‘legal” business, there are many requirements to follow. Fees, liscence, business taxes, sales taxes, unsecurd property taxes, inspections…
It is not only unfair to all business owners that follow the rules/law, it is a slap in the face. And for the city, our so called ‘leaders”, to not do anything about it, is another slap.
It is unfair to you and me as well, as the “missing” fee/tax income is coming straight out of the tax payers pocket.
I honestly am puzzled that so many, including our ‘leaders’, don’t give a **** about this and support this illegal action.
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